Process of making electrolytic iron from scrap



R. D. PIKE March 18, 1930.

PROCESS OF MAKING ELECTROLYTIC IRON FROM SCRAP Filed July 20, 1926 7 INVENTOR. W of). Wm. BY

A TTORNEYS.

I I I l l I lll I I I Patented Mar. 18, 1930 TES err-Ice PATE 301mm 1). PIKE, or r'r'anmom', caLmoaNIA raoonss or MAKING nLEcraoLr'rro more rnoarsonar Application filed m 2o,

My present invention relat s to a process for manufacturing very pure electrolytic iron from scrap. In the open hearth process for manufacture of steel a considerable amount 5 of iron and steel scra is re-melted in the open hearth furnace. In t e entire present process, from ore to finished steel, no metallurgical means exists for eliminating copper, nickel, and other metals relatively noble' as com pared with iron. Small amounts of these elements are continually introduced in the ore and are partially returned to the process in the scrap, and because they are not eliminated, are continuing to accumulate in open '16 hearth steel. From year to year the average content of such elements in the open hearth steel which is manufactured is bound to increase, and the time is approaching when such accumulation will have to be dealt 2 with by manufacturers, particularly in relation to certain special steels. Furthermore,

it is not practical in the open hearth furnace to reduce either carbon or sulphur much, if

any, below .02%. It therefore becomes of industrial importance'to purify the scrap iron used in the manufacture of open hearth steel.

This I accomplish by electrolytic treatment of the scrap. Regardless of the purity of the scrap dealt with, I can make, by m present invention, electrolytic iron of the ollowing analysis:

, Carbon i .006% or less Sulphur .007% or less Copper .006% or less phosphorus, silicon, manganese, nickel, cobalt, cadmium, zinc, tin, lead, andarsenic absent.

My preferred method of procedure isshown in the accompanying drawing, Figure 1. Considerable variation in the detail of this procedure is possible without departing from the spirit of my invention. Scrap iron or steel is placed in the launder '1, which is preferably made of Portland cement concrete impregnated with sulphur. Anolyte leach containing about 10% total iron and 4% to 5% F e is introduced at one end and flowing through the launder dissolves iron and becomes reduced to a solution of ferrous 1926. Serial No. 123,025.

chloride containing approximately a total of 12% iron and less than 2% Fe This reduced solution then flows to a gas treating tower 2,. where it is treated with H S as for the precipitation of traces of copperan other impurities which form insoluble sulphides. These are filtered out in filter 3, the filtrate passing to evaporator 4, where it is evaporated to a specific gravity of 1.3 when hot, and then goes to treating and correcting tank 5, which is furnished with a propeller for agitation. Steam is added, if necessary, to maintain a temperature of about 80 centigrade, and anaccuratecopper determination made. If any trace of copper remains in the liquor this is precipitated by sponge iron, suflicient H SO having been previously added to bring the pH to 2.5. Into the evaporator 4 is novi added the ferrous sulphate which Was "produced incidental to the manufacture of H 8 from ferrous sulphide and sulphuric acid. The chlorine losses per cycle will usually be not in excess of .1 pound chlorine per pound of electrolytic iron, and this amount of chlorine is added in the form of CaCl into the tank 5. It is necessary to provide sufiicient SO ions to precipitate the calcium of the calcium chloride as gypsum, and this will usually be greater in amount than that provided from the H 8 generator. The additional requirements can bemade up by adding more ferrous sulphate or by adding sulphuric acid and iron. If the latter course is pursued care should be exercised to see that the pH of the liquor leaving the tank 5 is substantially 2.5. f The concentration of SO, in the efiiuent should be about 2%. The efliuent is filtered in 6, the filtrate passing directly is provided with a filter bottom 8. The voluminous precipitate of gypsum cleanses the electrolyte of colloidal impurities containing carbon. and sulphur. Electrolyte flows to the electrolytic iron cells 9, of the type 95 described in my pending application, Serial Number 58,009. Surplus catholyte drains into tank 10 and is returned to tank 7. Anolyte flows into tank 11 and is returned to laimder 1.

Having thus described my invention, what to the electrolyte supply tank 7 which I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: A cyclic process for producingnelectrolytic iron from scrap, which consists 1 dissolving 5 the scrap in a leach containin ferric chloride, purifyin the reduced liquor y precipitation of metal ic impurities as sulphides, adding CaCl to restore chlorine losses to the cycle, and adding sufiicient sulphate ion to precipij tate the calcium of the said calcium chloride as gypsum, filtering off the gypsum, electrolyzmg the solution for production of pure electrolytic iron and regeneration of the leach. v ROBERT D. PIKE. 

